About the job

Job summary

Please refer to Job Description

Job description

Information about the Team - The Contract Management & Assurance Team (CMAT) forms part of HMPPS Wales’ Strategic Support, Administration & Assurance (SSAA) team.  CMAT has responsibility for the management and assurance of the Learning & Skills Contracts within those prisons in Wales where the delivery of education has been contracted out to a provider through a procurement exercise.

Band 5

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is keen to enter or who already has experience of contract management.  The post will primarily support the HMP Berwyn (Wrexham, North Wales) Contract Management & Assurance Team, who are responsible for the management of the Learning & Skills (L&S) contract; however, the successful post holder will also be required to support our wider team who oversee the L&S contract at HMP & YOI Parc (Bridgend, South Wales).  The successful candidate will ideally need to be based at HMP Berwyn but travel to South Wales will be required on occasions.  Strong organisational skills, stakeholder engagement, and data analysis will be critical in this role; along with the co-ordination and planning of meetings and reports to support the wider team.  The successful candidate will be given the opportunity to undertake the Accredited Contract Management Foundation course, which is provided by the Government Commercial College.

Overview of the job    

Accountable to the Learning and Skills Contract and Assurance Manager (and the Deputy Director Strategic Support, Administration and Assurance as required) within HMPPS in Wales, the Learning and Skills Contract and Assurance Officer will support efficient and effective contract management of the learning and skills contracts contract across HMP & YOI Parc and potentially wider South Wales public sector prisons

The Learning and Skills Contract and Assurance Officer must undertake assurance of public sector commissioned delivery within HMP & YOI Parc and ensure that any feedback from assurance activity HMP & YOI Parc is fed back to the Learning and Skills Contract and Assurance Manager in a professional and timely manner.

The estimated contract value per annum is £4m.

Summary    

The Learning and Skills Contract and Assurance Officer is a support role with administrative, secretariat and data handling and analysis responsibilities. Overall the post contributes to support the contract and assurance team with their remit to monitor and validate provider performance, assure delivery of services within HMP & YOI Parc and manage the learning and skills contract.

Working alongside the Learning and Skills Contract and Assurance Manager, the Learning and Skills Contract and Assurance Officer will support the delivery of the contract management governance processes in relation to the learning and skills contract at HMP & YOI Parc. They will provide a secretariat service by co-ordinating the Service Integration Group, Operational Management Group and Quarterly Contract Review Group meetings for the contract and other groups as directed by the Learning and Skills Contract and Assurance Manager.

Working under the direction of the Learning and Skills Contract and Assurance Manager, the Learning and Skills Contract and Assurance Officer will make arrangements for service planning with stakeholders and partners. They will directly manage aspects of both on a day to day basis and will have dialogue with providers and business partners.

The post holder will undertake research and analysis as required which will demand initiative and self-motivation. Examples include reviewing stakeholder surveys, development of good practice case studies, reporting on risk and monitoring performance.

The post holder will also engage in assurance activity within HMP & YOI Parc which will relate to contracted delivery of the learning and skills contract.

The geographical base for the Learning and Skills Contract and Assurance Manager can be flexible with the main base being within HMP & YOI Parc whilst travel will be expected across HMPPS in Wales, and will require some work in London and other
locations.

Responsibilities, Activities and Duties    

The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

•    Providing secretariat support to the Learning and Skills Contract and Assurance Manager and HMPPS in Wales Learning and Skills Assurance Manager; the Service Integration Group, Operational Management Group and Quarterly Contract Review Group meetings for the learning and skills contract and any other meeting convened by them. This will include:

o    Arranging and distributing the agendas and papers with direction from the relevant chair
o    Producing first draft minutes and action logs
o    Maintaining formal documentation, terms of reference, membership and distribution lists
o    Following up with action owners for updates
o    Filing, archiving and enacting version control on all relevant documentation.

• Reviewing and monitoring performance data in relation to the learning and skills contract and critically evaluating and reporting any issues regarding service delivery and value for money to the Learning and Skills Contract and Assurance Manager
• Supporting the Learning and Skills Contract and Assurance Manager in key meetings with stakeholders from the Provider and covering in the managers absence.
• Supporting the Learning and Skills Contract and Assurance Manager in the delivery of on-going contract management activities with the learning and skills provider. For example, identifying service quality, contract compliance and supplier performance issues and priorities and following up requests for information, scheduling of ad hoc meetings
• Conducting research and analysis activities as required this will include reviewing stakeholder surveys and opinions, analysis of MI trends and issues, development of good practice case studies, reporting on risk and monitoring performance.
• Providing information to the Deputy Director / Director / MoJ and others as required
• Undertaking audits and identifying any failures by Contractors staff to comply with contractual requirements
• Making general observations of the operations of the learning and skills contract as well as public sector prisons delivery
• Monitoring and logging the Providers progress against HMIP, Estyn and other audits / assurance activity

The duties/responsibilities listed above describe the post as it is at present and is not intended to be exhaustive. The job holder is expected to accept reasonable alterations and additional tasks of a similar level that may be necessary. Significant adjustments may require re-examination under the Job Evaluation Scheme and shall be discussed in the first instance with the job holder.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £33,104, HM Prison & Probation Service contributes £8,971 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.